Kathy, I love your avatar

The ultra fine pins I use are IBC Silk Pins. They come 500 to a box. They are about 1/2 the diameter of ordinary pins. I think they retail for $7-$8 a box, but you get 500!

If I have to match up seams, I pin, otherwise for small blocks I don't.

I pin because they help hold the fabrics together since I have a difficult time getting my arthritic fingers to work well at times and I hate taking out seams just because the fabric slipped apart while sewing it. Since I bought some longer pins it is easier for me to do. I have stopped basting everything I sew though.

I'm a newbie as well. I have discovered the more I iron the less I seem to have to pin.

It depends. If I have a long seam I may add a pin or two, when joining blocks I usually put a pin where the blocks join. Just do what works for you.

I usually only pin at my matching seams and sew into the seam before I take my pin out. That way my seams intersect nicely.

I pin when necessary. I hate 'unsewing' lol

Yes, I always pin. I use more pins in a block that has a lot of pieces to it. Especially at block intersections. I press the blocks in opposite directions and pin. Happy Quilting David. :thumbup:

That is the way I do it too. I learned if I held the bottom corners of the pieces together as I stitch down the seam, it is as effective as pinning and a lot simpler